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Pharmacist admits diluting drugs for cancer, officials say

August 19, 2001|By Items compiled from Tribune news services.

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI — A pharmacist jailed on allegations he diluted chemotherapy treatments has told investigators he cut the drugs' strength "out of greed," according to a court filing by federal prosecutors.

Federal authorities laid out the alleged confession Friday in advance of a hearing Monday during which a judge is to decide whether pharmacist Robert Courtney should continue to be held without bond.

"The defendant stated that he diluted the strength of the chemotherapy drugs out of greed and in order to make more money," the court papers said.

Courtney, 48, was charged Tuesday with one federal charge of misbranding and adulteration of a drug. His attorney, Jean Paul Bradshaw, has said Courtney will plead not guilty.

The federal court papers said Courtney was interviewed Wednesday with his lawyer present and that he admitted he began cutting drug potency in November 2000 and increased that activity through May.

The FBI said samples it tested from Courtney's Research Medical Tower pharmacy contained from 39 percent to less than 1percent of the expensive cancer drugs Gemzar and Taxol.